1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computers, and more particularly, to a self contained daughter card bracket for securing a daughter card within a computer housing.
2. Related Art
When designing a computer many factors must be considered. Some technical considerations are: processor speed, bus size, memory requirements, and the physical size of the computer housing. When positioning components within the computer housing it is desirable to position some components such that they are easily removable by a user or technician. An example of such a component is a CPU daughter card.
The purpose of a daughter card bracket is to securely fasten a daughter card to the computer housing. It is desirable to design the daughter card bracket such that the bracket and/or the daughter card can be easily removed from the computer housing.
Typically, the daughter card is secured to a daughter card bracket using an extrinsic securing device, e.g., a screw or a bolt. In addition, the daughter card bracket is typically secured to the computer housing using a similar extrinsic securing device.
Using such extrinsic securing devices has many disadvantages. When removing the daughter card or the daughter card bracket, screws are periodically misplaced. If all of the screws are not used to attach the daughter card to the daughter card bracket or the daughter card bracket to the housing, the daughter card can vibrate. Such vibration can damage components on the daughter card and/or components near the daughter card. This can adversely affect the operation of the computer system.
Another disadvantage of using extrinsic securing devices to connect the daughter card to the daughter card bracket and to connect the daughter card bracket to the computer housing is that additional time and effort is required to accomplish the task. When replacing the daughter card, the daughter card bracket, or both, the user or technician must physically unfasten each extrinsic securing device, e.g., each screw or bolt, in order to disengage the daughter card from the daughter card bracket or to disengage the daughter card bracket from the computer housing. This process is tedious and time consuming.
What is needed is a self-contained daughter card bracket which enables the user to quickly and efficiently secure the daughter card bracket to the computer housing and to quickly and efficiently disengage the daughter card bracket from the computer housing. In addition the self-contained daughter card bracket should allow the user to quickly and efficiently secure a daughter card to the daughter card bracket and to quickly and efficiently disengage the daughter card from the daughter card bracket without the use of extrinsic securing devices.